Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury's Southern Friend Chicken Thighs & Drumsticks ultra-processed?

750g Breaded chicken Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's Southern Friend Chicken Thighs & Drumsticks

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 19 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed breaded chicken

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Chicken Thighs 77%, Drumsticks 77% (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Rapeseed Oil Wheat Starch, Rice Flour Broad Bean Flour Maize Flour Salt Wheat Gluten Ground Spices (Fennel, Black Pepper, White Pepper Paprika), Yeast Extract Raising Agent (e450), Sodium Bicarbonate Cracked Black Pepper Dextrose Dried Thyme, Dried Onions Wheat Protein, Spice Extract, Sunflower Oil Black Pepper Extract Flavouring Yeast

Additives: E450 Diphosphates

As written on the pack

• . • • • Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks (77%) Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin) Water - Rapeseed Oil Wheat Starch (contains Gluten) Rice Flour Broad Bean Flour Maize Flour Salt Wheat Gluten Ground Spices (Fennel - Black Pepper. White Pepper Paprika) Yeast Extract Raising Agent: E450, Sodium Bicarbonate Cracked Black Pepper Dextrose Dried Thyme - Dried Onions Wheat Protein (contains Gluten) Spice Extract. Sunflower Oil Black Pepper Extract Flavouring Yeast. . • . . • • •

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 115 breaded chicken

From least to most processed, this one ranks 38th. 83% of the breaded chicken here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 115 breaded chicken, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00306690, last edited 19 August 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.